News

MEMO: The State of Wisconsin’s GOP U.S. Senate Primary

Posted January 5, 2018

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Martha Laning, Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin

RE: The State of Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. Senate Primary

Right-wing outside groups have already spent nearly $5 million against Senator Tammy Baldwin, making her the top target for big money outside spending last year. In fact, Tammy has so far faced more spending than every other Democratic Senator up for election in 2018, combined, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Republicans see Tammy as their final statewide target in Wisconsin, but their historically weak group of Senate candidates have embraced D.C.'s corporate special interest corruption, putting them far out-of-step with Wisconsin values. On issues ranging from health care and tax reform to attacking earned benefits, the Republican U.S. Senate field is championing Washington corruption by embracing hardline positions that would inflict real harm on hardworking Wisconsin families.

Right-wing state Senator Leah Vukmir, out-of-state billionaire puppet Kevin Nicholson and Wall Street hedge fund manager Eric Hovde (whose drawn-out flirtation with a Senate run is a testament to Republicans’ frustration with their field) have enthusiastically embraced out-of-touch policies that protect the big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of Wisconsin. Working families across Wisconsin understand that this agenda is a giveaway to big donors and corporate special interests, but the Republican candidates have nevertheless continued to stand by their megadonors’ toxic priorities.

Republicans are desperate to defeat Tammy Baldwin — that’s why she was their top target in 2017, and it’s why she will continue to be the priority for national Republicans and out-of-state big money special interests throughout 2018. But no amount of spending from out-of-state billionaires can make Leah Vukmir, Kevin Nicholson and Eric Hovde’s right-wing — and extremely unpopular — Washington special-interest agenda palatable to Wisconsin voters.